Wiper arm



Oct. 26, 1943. N MUSSEN ETAL'Y 2,332,660

WIPER ARM- Filed Aug. 14, 1941 INVENTORS ATT R N EYS Patented Oct. 26, 1943 1 UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE WIPER A m Donald N. Mussen, Williamsville, and Earl v. Schaal, East Aurora, N. Y., assignors to Trico Products Corporation, Buffalo, N.

Application August 14, 1941, Serial No. 406,770 8 Claims. (Cl. -255) This invention relates to windshield cleaners and particularly to an improved wiper carrying arm for such cleaners.

Generally speaking, windshield wiper arms embody or are provided with. resilient means for causing the wiper carrying arm to urgev the wiper blade carried thereby toward the windshield beingacted upon. According'to principles of the present invention, improved means are provided for applying a resilient force for this purpose. A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for readily adjusting or varying the resilient pressure applied to the wiper blade. invention resides in the provision of auxiliary means which may readily be .applied to conventional wiper installations for the application'of supplementary resilient Wiping pressure, such auxiliary means incorporating means forselectively adjusting the resilient urge against the wiping blade.

The illustrated form of the invention, which is shown merely by way of example, depicts a A further object of the presentwiper arm of the type generally associated with a rock shaft for supporting an oscillatable wiping blade. Obviously, the principles of the present invention may be applied with equal facility to wiper supporting arms adapted to be associated with reciprocating wipers or wipers arranged for movement on a windshield surface in any other manner. While a single complete embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in the drawing and described'in detail in the ensuing description, the principles of the invention are not to be considered as limited thereto or otherwise than as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a general elevational view of a w-ind- V the elements 23 and 26, a lateral extension. 28

shield wiper and a portion of the actuating rock shaft therefor with a wipercarrying arm constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention connecting between the actuating rock shaft and the wiper blade;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of a portion of the wiper blade supporting arm viewed as in Fig. 1 but on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is va fragmentary view taken as indicated by the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

In the drawing like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several figures and the numeral l0 designates a conventional windshieldwiper blade operating upon; a wind-.- shield surface indicated bythe dot-and-dash line at H in Fig. 1. An actuating rock shaft is designated I2 and the novel wiper supporting arm' connecting between the rock shaft l2-and the wiper blade I0 is designated generally l3iin The wiper arm [3 comprises a strip M which has one of its ends suitably connected with the wiper blade l0 substantially medially of the latter as at l5. This connection does not form a material part of the present invention and may be effected in any conventional manner. The opposite end of the strip I4 is secured against the inner side of the web of a channel-shaped: member I1.

away from the strip- Ill to provide spaced c0- axial bearing portions 20. The bearing portions are adapted to be disposed over a. second pair of bearing portions 22 which are coaxial therewith and formed upon a rock shaft connecting element 23.

The rock shaft connecting-element 23 is preferably secured'rigidly to the rock shaft I2 and such securement may be accomplished by promay be formed'rigidly with the rock shaft i2 and likewise received in complementary depressions in the meeting faces of the elements 23'and 2B. The connecting element 23 and the clamping or cap member 26 may be held to rigidly embrace the end of the rock shaft l2 by a pair of screws 30 or in any other convenient manner. a

A pin 33 extends through the aligned coaxial pairs of bearings 20 and 22 and provides a pivoted joint between the rock shaft connecting element 23 and the rigidly assembled channelshaped member I! and strip M. It is desired to impart to the assembled channel I] and strip M a resilient rotative urge which is clockwise as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. To this end it hasf heretofore been proposed to provide a leaf spring comprising a pair of laminations 35 and 36 having an end thereof rigidly secured to the strip i4 and the channel I! in cantilever fashion as by 7 means of a pair of rivets 38.

The outer free ends of the laminations 35 and;

36 bear against an anti-friction roller 40 carried by a pin 4| which is supported between the bearing portions 22 of the rock shaft connecting element 23. The pin 41 and the roller 4!! carried thereby are disposed eccentrically with re- The flanges 18 of the channel-' shaped member 1'! are extended in a direction spect to the pivot pin 33 and it will be noted that the urge of the spring laminations 35 and 36 imparts a force to the roller 40 tending to rotate the connecting element 23 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the pivot pin 33. The connecting element 23 is, of course, rigidly secured to the rock shaft l2 and the reaction to this resilient urge accordingly urges the wiper supporting: arm IS in a.'clockwise. direction asviewed in the'drawing and presses the wiper blade l into contact with the windshield.

surface II as desired.

The improvement of the present invention resides in the provision of means for augmenting the spring urge thus far defined and for augassaeeo 1 merely fall away from the spring laminations 35 and 36.

What is claimed is:

1. A wiper arm comprising an inner section adapted to be fixed to an actuator and having a pivot and an adjacent abutment, and an outer wiper engaging section comprising a channeled memberv engaging. the pivot and. a leaf spring secured in said channel and havingfi free end directed toward said inner'section and disposed ,resiliently against said abutment, auxiliary tensioning means comprising means attachable to i "said channel member and an auxiliary leaf spring carried by said attachable means and having menting the resilient pressure in selectively ad'-" justable manner. The means chosen for producing this auxiliary adjustable. wiper armpressure is preferably arranged to be conveniently associated with conventional windshield wiper arms of the. type thus far set forth." In. a preferred form an auxiliary Spring leaf 50 is provided. The means for adjustably supporting the.

spring leaf 5?} comprises a. channel-shaped,- clamping member 52 which has inturned flanges- 53 at the terminal edges of its side flanges,-

whereby the member 52 may be disposed over the assembled channel I-l, strip l4 and spring: iarninations 35 and 36." a

As appears clearly from Fig; 2, the clamping element 52 is preferably disposed adjacent the. end of the channel lls which is remote from its pivotal connectiong with the rock shaft connect.- ing member 23. For retaining the member 52- in this desired position a screw 54 is threaded into the webthereof and screwed tightly against the assembled channel 17, strip Hi and spring lami nations 35- and 36. As shown in Fi g ;2', the end of. the screw 54 bears against the head of one of the rivets 38 and, as a result of this cooperation,

the inner sides of the inturned flanges 53 of the clamping element 52-a're brought into frictional'ly locking engagement with the outer surface of the web of the. channel member H.

A clearancehole is formed in the end of. the.

springleaf 50 adjacent the clamping element 52 and the body of the screw 5d passes therethrough in reaching its clamping position to incidentally retain the leaf spring 59 against axial removalfrom within the channel-shaped clamping, 'ele-. ment 52. Another screw55 is threaded into the web of the locking element 52-and acts directly against the adjacent surface of the spring leaf.

a free: end bearing;resiliently against the first leaf springto' increase the force-thereof against said abutment, said auxiliary springbearing P against the'first leaf spring beyond the abutt ment. whereby the latter serves as a fulcrum for and urges the outer free end of the latter die 1 rectly against the prima'ryfspring.laminations 35 and 36 to add to the previously described resilient urge thereof.

Patently, the auxiliary -resilient;.urge of the l f p ng 50 may be increased or relaxed, by.

adjustment of the position ,of the screw 55 in the web of the channel-shaped locking element 52. Asillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, a minimum of auxiliary spring pressure is impart-edby the leaf spring 50 since the outer surface thereof is resting against the inner surface of the web of. the channel clamping element 5-2,; Increasing the auxiliary resilient urge ofthe leaf spring;

50 by adjustment of the screw 55 will howfthe leaf spring 50 and remove it from direct engagement with the web of the channebshaped locking element 52. Removal of the screw 54..from its assembled position permits the clamping element 52 to be moved out of assembled position,

(generally upwardly along the strip It as viewed in the drawing), and. the leaf spring 50 will the first leaf spring, and means carried .by said attachable means; for varying. the. resilienthurze of said; auxiliary leaf springragainst the. first-leaf:

spring. 1

2. A wiper arm comprising: an inneresection adaptedzto'be fixedto an actuator andianyo ltera per enga ing ection, one; of; said sections having. a pivot and an adjacent abutment. andthe';

iliary leaf spring againstqthefirst, leaf spring;

3. A wiper arm comprising an innersecti'onfl adapted tobe; fixed. to anactuator-andthaying a pivot and an adjacentv abutment,,-an outer wiper engaging section engaging the pivot and a leaf spring secured thereto and having a free: end-directedtoward said inner sectionand disposed resiliently against saidabutment, auxiliary I tensi-oningmeans comprising means attachable toisaid outer section and'an, auxiliaryleaf spring carried by said attachable means andhaving a free end bearing resiliently against the first lent: spring to, increase the force-thereof against; said: abutment, and means. carried-by said attachable means for varying, the, resilient; urge of said aux: iliary; lea-f spring againstthe first leaf spring. v

4. A -wiper arm. comprising anzinnerseciion adapted to be fixed to an actuator-and having a pivot and -an adiacent abutmenhjanonter wiper. engaging section engaging the pivot and; a leaf spring secured thereto and having a end directed toward said inner seetion and dis-s. posed resiliently against said'abutment, auxiliary tensioning means; comprising sleevem ans.

posable about said wiper engaging section, readily releasable means. for securing saidsleeve means, uponsaidwlper engaging section, an an;

iliary leaf; spring retained by saidsleeve means and having a free end bearingrresil ntly against the first leaf spring to increase/the force thereof against said abutment, and means'carried by:s'a.id sleeve means for: varying the. es-menswear I auxiliary leafspring against the first leaf smug 5.. For use with a wiper arm comprising piv otedfsectionsgan. abutment on one section. a leaf spring carried by theother;section having a free end bearing resiliently against said abutment; auxiliary tensioningmeanscomprising a sleeve disposable about said other section, an auxiliary leaf spring having an end thereof within said sleeve and its opposite end disposed to bear against a free portion of the first leaf spring to increase the resilient force thereof against said abutment, a clamping screw threaded into said sleeve and extending loosely through an opening in the auxiliary leaf spring and means.

against said other section to retain the auxiliary leaf spring and clamp the sleeve about said other section, a second screw threaded into said sleeve and engaging the auxiliary leaf spring to selectively vary the resilient urge thereof against the first leaf spring.

6. In a window cleaner, a wiper carryin arm comprising mounting means and wiper engaging means, said wiper engaging means comprising an elongate element having a channel shaped portion'adjacent one end thereof and wiper attaching means at its opposite end, means pivotally attaching the one end of said wiper engaging means to said mounting means, an abutment carried by said mounting means and a leafspring secured within the channel portion of said wiper engaging means and having a projecting portion for engagement against said abutment to urge the wiper attaching means of said wiper engaging means toward a window being acted upon, other resilient means, acting against said leaf spring beyond said abutment to augment its resilient urge by tending to flex the leaf spring about said abutment as a fulcrum, and means for adjusting the tension of said other resilient 7. For use with a wiper arm comprising pivoted sections, an abutment on one section and a flat spring carried by the other section .and having a free end bearing resiliently against said abutment; auxiliary tensioning means comprising a saddle securable to said other section, an auxiliary fiat spring having an end thereof securable to said saddle against endwise displacement and its opposite end disposed to bear against a free portion of the first flat spring to increase the resilient force thereof against said abutment, and a screw threaded into said saddle and engaging the auxiliary flat spring to selectively vary the resilient urge thereof against the first flat spring.

8. A wiper arm comprising an inner section adapted to be fixed to an actuator and an outer wiper engaging section pivoted to the inner section, an abutment on one end of said sections and flat spring means secured to the other section and having a free end directed to the section having the abutment, said free end being disposed resiliently against said abutment, auxiliary tensioning means comprising a second flat spring attachable to the spring carrying section and having a free end bearing resiliently against the first fiat spring to increase the force thereof against said abutment, and means carried by said attachable means for varying the resilient urge of said second spring against the first spring.

DONALD N. MUSSEN. EARL V. SCI-IAAL. 

